Social Encounter
by Gears and Wires
Summary: She fought and struggled until she'd gotten out and she's made it through. She even got people that she could call friends, friends that need her to fight with them. It seems manageable because now, she isn't alone. That also makes it much harder. T to be safe and some language
1. Welcome to the World

Chapter 1: Welcome to the World

_The elevator traveled up the elevator shaft and the turret choir was singing the most amazing song I've ever heard. GLaDOS was singing lyrics in the background. I'm not really sure, but I think it was Italian. I was so awestruck I didn't even realize that I'd reached a dark room until a door swung open blinding me._

_As I stepped out I saw the dirt underneath my feet, wheat stalks swaying in the breeze and the sky, the wide blue sky, was stretched above me in an endless, beautiful cover. I finally made it out!_

_I heard banging from behind me and I spun around. The door that was attached to what looked like a small, rusted shed opened and my companion cube popped out in all its burnt glory. The door slammed shut again and I couldn't stop my smile._

_A small whisper escaped my lips. "Thank you." My voice was hoarse and scratchy from disuse but I hope she heard it nonetheless._

_Picking up the cube, I walked forward, never looking back, mostly because I knew she was watching me go and I didn't want her to see the tears that were leaking down my face._

That was at least three days ago and I still haven't found a single person. Alive that is. I've seen plenty of dead people, skeletons and rotting corpses, but none that were alive and breathing.

I saw plenty of other things though.

I saw that deer GLaDOS was talking about. I saw something that stuck to the ceilings and almost bit my head off. I saw the humans GLaDOS was talking about. They were dead. I saw the offspring of headless chickens and crabs running amok. I even saw them taking over dead bodies and attacking me with them.

It was a good thing GLaDOS was nice enough to store away a few supplies in the companion cube. The gun in there was really useful for killing those roof eaters even if it was the small kind. She even packed a first aid kit, some spare ammunition for the gun, food and beans, and some clothes; a tank top, a t-shirt, a long sleeved shirt; a sweater, some black cargo pants, some socks and combat boots.

I will forever be grateful for the new clothes but because of the time I missed, I had no clue what had happened up here. The first few cities and towns I went to were unrecognizable. The houses were dilapidated and the buildings were caving in on themselves. Nothing looked safe.

I had to find out what happened to all the living people so I ran into the first (safe looking) library. The most recent papers were dated all the way back to 2005.

The content seemed like it came out of some sci-fi book. I couldn't believe it until I'd read it a few more times. I mean, who would? An alien attack? A 7 hour war? A portal storm? I thought I'd had the last of portals when I left Aperture. All if this was caused by Black Mesa? GLaDOS would like that. Black Mesa destroyed? GLaDOS would _really_ like that.

I rubbed my temples as I felt a headache come on. "What the hell."

_Such foul language . . . doesn't suit a pretty girl such as yourself, Ms. Chell._

I snapped my head around looking for the source of the voice. "Who's there?" I shouted into the empty library.

_Let's just say I'm . . . a person requiring your . . . assistance._

There was something about his drawl and the way his voice sounded that made me feel uneasy. "What?"

The room flashed a bright white light that made me shut my eyes for a few seconds. When I opened them again, I was somehow back at Aperture. I was in the main computer room but there was something off. GLaDOS was just hanging there as a man, clad in a blue suit stood in front of her. "This . . . friend . . . of your is really quite . . . amazing." He said as he turned to face GLaDOS' huge form.

The bright light flashed again and I was in a different place. It was Old Aperture. We were standing in front of the portrait of Caroline and Cave Johnson. "To hide _you,_ such a . . . raw source of . . . potential, for this long, is really quite astounding."

The light flashed again. This time, I had no clue where I was. It seemed to be a base of some sort. There were four people reloading guns and posed as if they were in some kind of conversation, a Greek symbol of some sort was on some part of their clothes and a bigger version was painted on the wall. The man spoke again. "No matter. As they do say, it's better . . . late then never."

He chuckled darkly as the corners of my vision began to fade. My brain felt like it would pop out of my head any minuet and the bright light flashed one more time. I saw a flash of orange, the Greek sign and I head someone saying something in the distance before I fell to the floor and blacked out.

"_I've never seen this girl before. Who is she?"_

"_They said they just found her passed out in front of the base."_

"_She has no form of ID? Are you sure she isn't a combine spy?"_

" _. . ."_

"_Not sure huh? I'll keep an eye on her then." _


	2. Powersuit Reboot

To me, Chell seems OOC but considering she never spoke, would that count?

Disclaimer: Portal and Half-Life doesn't belong to me.

Chapter 2: Power Suit Reboot!

I blinked as I felt my consciousness slowly return to me. My head and my body felt so much better. I didn't even feel the scratches of the zombie things or the burden of a three-day hike in my feet. I sat up slowly and examined my surroundings.

I was in a room filled with other sick and wounded but they were alive. That was the first think I noticed. There was one nurse that was watching them all and she was busy with a guy that looked like they sat down in front of a turret. I got up and began to walk, examining the patients. Most of them seemed to be flesh wounds. There were a few that looked like they came down with a sicknesses but I'm guessing it was probably from an infected cut or gunshot wound.

"What happened here?" I said quietly.

"It's what happens when you fight for something." Someone behind me said.

I turned to face a woman that was about my age, or at least, was my age. She looked to be around mid 20s. "Yeah, I know, it's just that . . ."

"You've never been out in the field before, huh?" She asked. It was probably more of an examination though. I shrugged. "You've never been out on the field but you don't seem to be a civilian either." She put her hand on her chin. "So, what are you?"

I laughed. "Just a chick from Michigan."

Her brows knitted together. "Michigan was destroyed years ago. How did you escape the Combine?"

Destroyed? "I . . . I have my ways." I could tell she was going to ask me something else so I decided to change the subject. "My name's Chell by the way." I stuck out my hand for her to shake.

She scrutinized it a bit and I hoped that a handshake was still a form of greeting. To my relief she held out her hand and shook mine. "Alyx. Welcome to the Resistance, Chell." She smiled and I returned it brightly.

I was assigned to a bunk under Alyx. There were two others sharing the room and their bunk was adjacent to ours so the beds formed an L. So it was Alyx and Jamie in the top beds while Sarah and I were on the bottom beds. It was a pretty small room so most of the time it was cramped. Thankfully, the Resistance provided all the clothes so there really wasn't much need for dressers. The closet was divided equally among the girls but I only needed the companion cube. It was curious as to why Alyx didn't seem to have her own designated space.

"It's because Alyx never stays in one place for very long." Jamie replied.

"Why is that?"

Sarah looked at me from Alyx's bed like I grew a second head. "Because she goes with Dr. Freeman on his missions all the time. Duh."

Jamie shot Sarah a look. "Chell was in hiding remember. For all we know she probably doesn't even know what Dr. Freeman did."

They were right. I did not. "Everyone knows Dr. Freeman." I said casually. I've heard his name thrown around a lot. He seemed to be an extremely important person and I guessed it was high time that I did. In order to start a conversation, I said the three words that would get any girl to say something. "Isn't he cute?"

Sarah swooned. "Isn't he? He is so manly! Can you believe that he stormed into the Alien world and defeated their leader and just last week we were being attacked and he took down so many striders all by himself."

It's no wonder he's famous. Sarah made the man seem like a powerful god.

Jamie shook her head. "He seems strange to me. At the time that he defeated the Alien boss, he was probably around 25 according to my resources but when I saw him a week ago, he still didn't look a day older. I don't think he's the real Freeman."

I tilted my head. That's interesting.

"What? That's crazy. How can he not be the real Freeman? Not every guy looks that good in a mustache and less people can do that he did." Sarah countered.

"It could be his kid. He did disappear for 20 years. I bet the real Gordon Freeman died and this is his kid had come to take his place because it was his father's last wish or something."

I grinned. Sarah laughed and smacked Jamie in the face with her pillow. "That's too much. Too much."

Alyx walked into the room. "What's the commotion about?"

I shrugged as Jamie and Sarah continued their pillow fight.

* * *

"_Well, she isn't a Combine spy, that's for sure, but there is something weird about her."_

"_Really? Like what?"_

"_Well, it just seems like she's completely clueless about the world, like she's been living under a rock all these years. She has no clue about the cities and it seemed like she didn't know what the Combine was until I told her."_

"_Come on. Where, on this earth, could she possibly have been that she didn't encounter an alien at least once?"_

"_That's what I would like to know."_

"_Do you wanna stay a while longer?"_

"_No, we have to find that boat. Chell can wait."_

* * *

The way the Resistance operated was pretty simple. Everyone would wake up at some time of the day, eat something, get to work in their station, when it was time to sleep they would walk over to their rooms then start the cycle over again.

Since I didn't really have any particular skills I just drifted to who ever sat at my table that day. After a few weeks I had at least a few friends in each department. What surprised me was that I was pretty skilled in a few of them. The medics, techies and people who worked in the field were always happy to see me around. The kitchen staff and scientists were happy to see me around too but they didn't really want me touching stuff after a certain chemical explosion in both the lab and one of the ovens.

Anyways, back to the medics, techies and field guys, I only stay in the medic rooms and fields for an hour each because, I'm not usually needed by the medics. The field always reminded me of testing too much. I spend most of my time in the department of technological development and I'm told that I'm good at it too. I was able to repair and reprogram a lot of the Combine's technology.

I'd already taken apart and assembled over a billion Roller Mines, a few dozen Man Hacks, two Hunters, a Strider and a Battle Ship. Now I was working on a different project. I was making my own battle suit.

"Hey, Where'd you learn to do something like that?" Brandon asked, his bright blue eyes sparling. He was a lanky blond guy with a thick British accent.

I continued to work on the goggles for the suit. "My parent's were technicians." I said dryly. He reminded me too much of a certain metal ball so I may have been a bit harsh toward him.

"Well this is bloody amazing mate."

He poked around my table and accidentally activated one of the Man Hacks I had yet to reprogram. "What the hell!"

"Sorry! Sorry!" He yelled as he backed away from my table.

"_**I see you!" **_The Man Hack said. It began to fly towards me and I ducked underneath it. _**"Hello. Is anyone there?"**_

As it was reeling around to face me again I grabbed a wrench and batted it to the ground in a slicing motion. It twitched a bit as electric shocks emitted from it before the red light switched off. "Brandon, you moron, now I have to repair that all over again.

"Yeah, I'm a huge moron. Sorry." His shoulders sagged and he bowed his head a bit.

I sighed. "Not a huge moron but your curiosity might get you killed one day. Just be more careful got it?"

I gently nudged his shoulder and he smiled. "Alrighty, then. I promise I'll be more careful."

I smiled. "Good, now leave. I have to get back to work."

He nodded again and scurried out the door.

"That's awesome leadership you have there, Chelly. I almost thought you were going to get a salute or something."

I jumped a bit at the sound. "Hey, Alyx I haven't seen you in weeks, where have you been?"

The smile dropped from her lips and she sighed. "Boat hunting."

I knitted my brows together. "What boat?"

"There's this boat called the Borealis and supposedly, it has some weapon that extremely powerful. Gordon and I have been trying to look for it for over a year now. There were coordinates given but when we got there, all it was is a hole in the ice possibly where a boat might have been. We've been expanding the search since." She sighed.

I snapped my fingers. "Oh yeah, Check this out." I led her to my table. "I don't know what you were going but I was having fun." It was littered with papers and blue prints for the suit as well as a few roller mines.

Alyx activated it and it zapped to life. Luckily I had already reprogramed it. **"I'm different." **

"Ahh." Alyx flinched away. "Why does it speak?"

I was getting annoyed at people touching my stuff. "Jeez, get away from that." I unplugged my glasses from the charger and slipped it on Alyx's head.

"Wow. Chell, this is amazing." She said sarcastically.

I grinned and I took a belt out from inside one of the drawers and strapped it securely around my waist. I took the matching pair of fingerless gloves and threw it to her.

She caught it. "What's this now? Are we playing dress up?"

"Shut up and put it on." She complied. "Now take out your gun and aim at me."

"Let's not get suicidal here." She joked.

"Haha, isn't someone full of jokes today." She laughed and made sure her gun was unloaded before pointing it at me.

I pressed a button on my belt and watched her eyes widen. "Woah, that's cool."

"Isn't it?" I yelled like a child during Christmas. "My glasses could pin point the vital systems in anything as long as you wear these gloves and point your gun at them. It even goes through walls. It even includes a stopwatch, thermometer of the room you're in, and it can detect any chemicals in the air, like, let's say, neurotoxin. Oh, yeah, don't forget the flashlight."

"Wow . . . I don't know what to say. I'm at a lose for words. Are you a genius?" She asked in genuine curiosity.

I never considered myself a genius but I guess it's because I never really thought about it. Now that I do, I did solve all those tests GLaDOS threw at me fairly quickly, so . . ., "Maybe."

Alex shook her head in disbelief. "I should introduce you to Dr. Kliener right now."

I'd heard about Dr. Kliener and Dr. Magnusson. They were the scientists that ran the base not to mention they both use to work for Black Mesa. "Um . . . I'm not sure that's a good idea."

Alyx ignored me because she grabbed my wrist and began to pull me toward the door. Damn, she was strong. "Don't worry, they'll love you."

"I highly doubt that." If was scared that if they found out I was from Aperture, they would kick my ass out of this place. I stated trying to wriggle out of Alyx's grip.

"Stop struggling." She let me go with a huff. "Listen, Chell, I don't know if you have a phobia of scientists or something but we really need help. We need smart people like you to pitch in and figure out how to win our world back. Literally, _everyone _in the world depends on it." She paused and stared at me. "I know you aren't selfish, Chell so I need you to come with me."

I wanted to be selfish right then and there. I wanted to not care but I did care and Alyx knew it.

Well, if they were as desperate as she said then there was no way they would throw me out. "Fine." I said quietly

Alyx grinned. "Awesome. Come this way." I was lead through a maze of halls that were mostly pin number protected be for arriving at an elevator. We got in and I could almost feel my gut do summersaults.

It was Alyx that broke the silence "Dr. Kleiner really isn't a bad guy and Dr. Magnusson is really nice inside. Don't listen to all those rumors about them. I promise they aren't real."

I honestly had no clue what Alyx was talking about but if she though my nervousness was caused by something like that then I was in no way going to burst her bubble.

The elevator opened to a room with a huge window and computers everywhere. A skinny, balding man was at the controls.

"Hey, Dr. Kliner. Dr Magnusson's not here?" Alyx asked.

The balding man, who was apparently Dr. Kleiner, turned to Alyx's direction. "Oh, Alyx. I'm afraid he's back in his office pouring over those codes again."

"Again? He's probably gone over them a thousand times."

The man looked down. "I know but he insists in looking them over and I . . ." His gaze traveled to me. "Well, who is this?"

Alyx faced me too. "Oh, this is Chell. She's an amazing technician. Check out these glasses that she made." Alyx took off the glasses I forgot she was wearing and handed them to Dr Kleiner. She turned back to. "Go Chell."

"Oh, yeah." I clicked a button on my belt.

Dr. Kleiner blinked. "My goodness, has there always been that much asbestos in the air?"

"Not only that, it can do so much more too. Look." Alyx pointed the gun at me again.

Dr. Kleiner panicked. "What are you do . . . oh I see." Pulling them of his head he examined the glasses. "What an ingenious piece of machinery."

I thought it would be okay to speak now. "It has a built in thermometer, a stop watch and it can also locate the vitals of anything that moves."

"Don't forget the built in flashlight."

"Amazing." I cracked a smile. "How long did it take for you to come up with this?"

"About five days." I replied. "It isn't done though. I plan to create a whole suit to go with it.

"Most people would have taken months to put together something this intricate. If you do manage to create that suit, it might even outmatch Gordon's HEV suit. Where did you say you were from, my dear?"

"I . . . well . . ."

Luckily I didn't have to answer. Another man with gray hair ascended up the elevator. I guessed him to be Dr. Magnusson. "Blast it all. I can't seem to find a single helpful bit of information. Who are you?"

He was shorter then me but I was still pretty intimidated. He had crazy eyes. "My name's Chell."

He crossed his arms. "So, you're the girl the field men have been going on about?"

"You actually got the field guys to talk about you?" Alyx asked. She seemed impressed.

"Talk is an immense understatement. In fact I've never seen them talk this animatedly about a single person before. It really is starting to become a bother." He walked past me as if I wasn't there. That really ticked me off. "Anyways, what is she doing here?" He asked Alyx as if I wasn't worthy of being talked to.

I snapped. "I'm here to show my invention. It took a long _five days_ to build." I emphasized on the five days. "Its main purpose is to locate the vitas of any given enemy but it also has special features. The controls are located on this belt. It can tell the temperature of the room you're in and any dangerous chemicals that might be mixed in the air."

"Look, Arne. Asbestos. We should have that taken care of." Dr. Kleiner interjected.

"I'm also planning on creating a whole suit to go with it. If I get all the materials, it should be done in a matter of weeks."

My gaze didn't leave Dr. Magnusson's face. He inspected it and then tried it on. "That's impressive Ms. . ."

". . . Chell."

"Ms. Chell." He said my name slowly as if he was testing how the word sounded. He looked at me up and down before turning to his colleague. "We seem to have a second Freeman on our hands." He turned to me again. "You seem to be double skilled. Tell me, how did you manage to attain such expertise?"

I grinned. "Aperture laboratories." I stated casually and coolly.

His face was as I expected. A look of utter shock came over his face. "You're from Aperture?"

"Ye-." I cut myself short. "My parents were . . . long before the combine attack."

"Interesting. And, what happened to Aperture?"

I analyzed each one of the people in the room. I didn't think they would take such an interest. I expected them to be outraged so see their rival company experiencing success. I certainly didn't expect to see them looking hopeful. "Why do you want to know?"

Alyx has having her own little revelation in the corner. "Yes, of course, if we can locate the Aperture Labs then we might be able to find some clues as to where the Borealis could be located!"

It clicked. They were going to look for Aperture so that they could search the records but the only way they could search the records was if they got past a homicidal super computer. I couldn't let that happen. "I'm sorry. I don't know.

D. Magnusson sighed. "Yes, of course, our luck could never be that good." He stuck my glasses in front of me. They were dangling limply from his hand.

I plucked it from his grasp and half smiled. "Thanks."

He scoffed. Right then and there, I could feel the energy in the room shift. "There really isn't thanks necessary. I would never attempt to steal something so amateurish. Then again I wouldn't have expected anything more."

My jaw dropped. "What?"

He pointed to my glasses. "All those _fancy _features do nothing but distract not to mention drain the battery life. I mean, why would you need to know the temperature in a room. In real combat you can't just expect the enemy to wait while you charge. It's wasteful and _amateurish_."

I took a step toward them. "If Aperture is so amateurish, why steal our stuff. Face it, Black Mesa could never advance unless it was a stolen from _us_."

"Black Mesa has done no such thing. Aperture makes it and _we _just happen to come up with something better."

I crossed my arms. "I bet my suit could beat yours."

Dr. Magnusson laughed. "Well, we'll just see then." He walked back to Dr. Kleiner and addressed Alyx. "Well then Ms. Vance, why don't you take Ms. . . Chell," I could tell he didn't like saying my name, "with you down to the field so that she may _test_ out her new equipment. And send Dr. Freeman up here at once!"

"Okay." Alyx replied shortly. She grabbed me by the arm and dragged me to the elevator. I didn't really notice because I was stuck in a glare match with the old man.

"I wish you luck, _Aperture girl_. You're going to need it."

I nodded from the elevator just as it was about to go down. When we were out of sight I huffed. "As much as I love the new nick name, I really don't like him."

She laughed. "I don't think he's too fond of you either."

"I told you it was a bad idea, introducing me to them."

"You were only half right. Dr. Kleiner loved that new invention of yours." The ride was silent until Alyx started up the conversation again. "Hey, did your parents ever talk about something called the Borealis? Any hints on where it could be or even what it might have in it?"

I sighed. "Sorry, I don't know anything."

She shook her head. "I figured. I know you, of all people, would tell me if something's that important."

I averted my gaze. The rest of the elevator ride was quiet.


	3. Aperture Style Training Results

Unbetaed work . . .

Chapter Three: Aperture Style Training Results

Before we headed for the practice grounds, we stopped by my room so I could pick up my boots.

"So where is it?"Alyx asked.

"Hold on." I got on my knees and pulled out my companion cube from under my bed.

"I've wondered why you had that since I met you."

"Oh this?" I patted my companion cube on it's surface. The paint was shiny again. I'd spent the first day sparling and painting it. "It's just something that they use in Aperture a lot."

Alyx nodded and I examined the cube. I looked for the heart that I painted in blue. Moving the panel to the side, it revealed a red button. I clicked it and with an audible hiss, the top opened.

"I can see how you come up with those cool things." Alyx interjected.

My spare clothes were waiting for me next to the long fall boots. I didn't notice before but each one has a small circle embroider into it. It was the Aperture Science logo. I smiled. GLaDOS certainly had an obsession for Aperture brand stuff.

I slipped on a fresh tank top and my cargo pants. I tied my sweater around my shoulders so that it wouldn't get in the way of my belt, which I slipped on after. I slid into my boots and my gloves. Finally, it was time for my goggles. I placed it on my head in slow motion. "I'm ready." I said in a dramatic way.

Alyx laughed. "Oh thank god. I was about to think you had limitless talent but I guess acting isn't on the list."

As soon as Alyx and I stepped on the field, with a few reassembled Man Hacks in hand we were greeted by most of the guys.

"Sup, Chell, long time no see."

"Hey, Chell, Are you going to teach me that trick you promised?"

"Chelly, why haven't you visited me, babe? I'm getting lonely."

"Shut up Billy." I yelled back with a slight grin.

"You really are popular." Alyx commented. I shrugged.

"Alyx!" I heard someone yell from across the field. A man in what looked like Combine body gear started to walk toward us.

"Barney! When did you get hear?"

So this was Barney Calhoun, the Resistance Spy. He was talked about like a hero and probably Gordon Freeman's best friend. He stopped in front of us and started to engage Alyx in a conversation. "I just got here a few hours ago. I heard that you haven't found the Borealis yet. Why not just stay there for a while? The base has been bugging you to, haven't they?"

"Yeah, well, I had to take care of something first." She glanced over at me.

"What this chick? Chell right?" He turned to face me.

"Yep, that's me."

He laughed. "She doesn't need taking care of. I've never heard her name mentioned so many times already."

"Apparently, you and me both. The techies in Tec Development haven't stopped either."

"Huh? Hey Gordon, I think I found your sister." Barney guffawed, calling over to a guy in an orange suit.

He glanced over and smiled. I returned it with a wave.

"Gordon probably knows about you too. You sure know how to publicize your name."

"I only try."

"What say we turn these babies on and see what you can do?" Barney was pointing to the Man Hacks in our Arms.

I shrugged. "Why not?"

I felt like I was back in Aperture every time someone watched me from behind the fence built to keep the things inside. As I've said before, it was the main reason I didn't spend too long in the cages. I only went when I thought everyone was asleep. I guess I estimated wrong because a lot more guys were stationed around the fence whispering to each other and paying each other for bets they placed.

I ignored them and tried to disable the Man Hacks without completely destroying them. If I hit them in the right spot behind the eye, I was able to short circuit the power supply and that was all I needed to replace later. It wasn't as easy at is sounded though. I get in a position to shot and pull the trigger at the exact second while before it turned to face me again.

There were six of them and, according to the glasses, the locations were on either side two on the left, two in the back one in front and one to the left. I was wedged between two rocks and I could feel them closing in. I knew that I couldn't let them get too close to each other or I would be forced to destroy them.

I dove out from under my cover and headed for the manhack farthest away.

"**I see you." **It sang in that familiar child-like voice.

It began to hover to me with it's blades rotating. I took a step back and ducked just as the blade came within a centimeters length. I aimed upwards and fired.

"**I don't hate you." **It connected and dropped to the ground. I heard celebration from guys lining the fence. Somewhere in the back of my head, I registered it but I didn't pay much attention.

I sprinted to the pair of manhacks coming towards me.

"**Hello"**

"**There you are."**

I ran towards them at full speed as they came towards me. I slid through the gap between them and jumped up to the rock behind them. I fired two shots.

"**Ahhhhh"**

"**Shutting Down."**

There were three left. I located them quickly thanks to the glasses. I hid behind another rock so they couldn't find me.

"**Are you still there?"**

"**Searching"**

"**Could you come over here?"**

Like hell I would. I ran around them, making sure I was out of sight before popping up and shooting down two.

"**Good night"**

"**Why . . ."**

And then there was one. Where the hell did it go?

"**There you are." **It was right above me! Panicking, I fired a round and it exploded.

"Dang it! There's no way I can repair that." I walked to one of the guys on the fence. He handed me a bottle of water. "Time?" I asked

"A minuet and ten seconds."

A chorus of groans could be heard from the guys who took whatever was betted out of their pockets.

I walked over to a waiting Alyx and Barney. "It's a shame Gordon couldn't see that. It was pretty cool. Those were some fast reflexes and great aim. Can you put me into the same kind of training you had?" He joked.

I laughed awkwardly. "I'm not sure that'll help you."

"They're way faster then the Combine's. Did you do something to them?" Alyx asked.

I shrugged. "I had to change the battery source to something bigger to. . . accommodate the extras I added."

"Extras, like making them talk? Why did you do that? It's super creepy."

Barney laughed. "I thought it was pretty cool."

I laughed. "If you excuse me, I have a challenge to attend to. I'll meet you guys in the mess hall for dinner."

* * *

"_Thanks to Chell, we won't be going anywhere for a week."_

"_Is that why my suit's been confiscated?"_

"_Yep, she challenged Dr. Magnusson in some Aperture vs. Black Mesa Power Suit Race or something."_

"_So that's why he's all stirred up. I've never seen him that determined before."_

"_Neither have I. I think it's a good thing though. He was pouring over those files of the Borealis since . . . for so long, Dr. Kleiner was starting to worry."_

"_What about you?"_

"_What about me?"_

"_Since . . . I haven't seen you this happy in a long time."_

"_Huh . . . I guess you're right."_

* * *

I must have been really into my work because I didn't notice Barney, Gordon and Alyx until they simultaneously banged there fist into my desk. I jumped a few feet in the air. "Holy . . .!" I caught my bottle of water which was resting on my table. It was a good thing it was sealed. "What the hell, guys?"

Alyx placed her hands on her hips. "Don't what the hell us. What happened to dinner?"

I glanced at my clock. "It's lunch already? I must have been in the zone. Just let me put some stuff away."

I watched as the three peeked over at my table. They stared in awe as they fiddled with the disassembled objects. What was once combine equipment was nothing but parts and bolts; equipment for my power suit.

Gordon was reading over my blue prints and nodding in what seemed like approval. Alyx joined him and grinned a freakishly huge smile. "Chell, you are a genius. This is amazing."

I shrugged "Hey Gordon, from your professional and unbiased opinion, who looks like the winner?"

He smirked and pointed at me. "Definitely you."

I blinked at him . . .

Just stared until it registered in my brain . . .

He spoke.

I'm not ashamed to say that I spazed out when Gordon said something. I'd always thought he was just a mute.

"You speak!" I asked, or yelled actually.

Gordon tilted his head and nodded while Alyx and Barney laughed, smacking their knees. "I always love the way they look."

"I thought you were a mute." I stated.

He shrugged. "I'm not."

"Just a man of few words." Alyx explained.

"Not everyone's a chatter box like you, Chell." Barney replied. I had to grin at the irony.

"At least you know that you're a shoe in at the competition."

"Nope." Gordon replied. "Suit, yes. Competition, no." Gordon clarified.

It was so weird seeing him speak. It was just so weird. No other words could describe it except . . . well . . . weird. "Why not the competition?" I asked.

"Because it's against me," he replied with a smirk.

I laughed. "You are on!"

"And the battle of the century is born!" Barny yelled as if he was at a wrestling match.

"Who will win, the mighty Gordon Freeman or the mysterious Chell of Aperture?" Alyx brought her voice down an octave and spoke into my rolled up blue prints as if it were a mic.

We laughed as we headed to the mess hall. "Well, now that you've heard Gordon speak more then five words, I guess it's official." Alyx started.

"What is?"

Gordon extended his hand. "Welcome to the group."


	4. Crying Lonesome Orphan

**Warning: This chapter may contain emotional backlash**

After dinner, I couldn't help but smile. The stupid grin didn't go away after everyone left to go to sleep either. I couldn't even get rid of it while I lay in bed trying to close my eyes. I was the happiest I'd ever been and I kept spilling into my face.

Alyx peered over the edge of her bed to look down at me. "That smile of yours is staring to really creep me out." She said but her face had a grin that probably rivaled mine. "I know we've only known each other for a few days but I expected you to just shrug and be cool about it. Why are you so happy?"

I shrugged but my grin grew wider. "I don't know."

I had a clue though. It might have been because I hadn't had human contact in such a long time and it might have even been because no one was ever that nice to me before. It might have also been because of the relief that, after seeing earth after so long, there was still so much good going on.

I decided on telling Alyx the one that would make more sense. "I guess it's because I've never been included in anything before."

Alyx raised a brow in disbelief. "Really? You weren't popular before?" She asked.

"I swear." I replied with a laugh but it faded quickly. My childhood, which I'd been successfully blocking out for who knows how many years came crashing back to me. "I was always a weird kid. I hated stuff toys and dolls so much that they would end up in the trash cans around the house. If it was some lame plastic action figure, they didn't last that long either." Alyx shifted to a more comfortable position.

"Mechanical parts, though, that was a different story. My parents noticed how I would try to take them apart and bought me my first tool belt at the age of 3. I loved to learn about them and since my mom and dad loved talking about them, it wasn't much of an issue. Later I learned I wasn't there real kid but I loved them so much. They taught me everything I knew."

"With the other kids, I guess that made it hard for them to understand me. The adults were the same case. No one wants to listen to a kid. It was just my parents who really cared."

"They took me to their work a lot and sometimes, I would even help them with their projects. I even got to enter in this competition once. I won too. They were so proud." I hadn't even noticed my voice starting to quiver. I bit my lip and took in a shaky breath.

"What happened to them?" Alyx asked with a soft voice.

"They died just a little after the competition." I took a breath to steady myself. "That was about the time I went . . . into hiding."

Alyx looked at me with empathetic eyes. "I lost my mom to the Combine when I was young too but I don't know what would have happened if my dad had been lost then too." I ignored her obvious assumptions and tried to stop my tears. Without the usual cushion of anger, it was proving to be extremely hard. "Now that I hear you, I think I should really consider myself lucky that I had more time to spend with him." I sniffed but didn't reply. She sighed. "Don't worry. We'll definitely pay the Combine back for every loved one that they've oppressed and taken."

I should have felt guilty about lying but, considering I'd never had time to grieve my parents' deaths at until that point, I didn't really care. The happy feeling I had was suddenly replaced by a crushing decades old sadness.

&*()_(*&

After my episode, I had a sort of, delayed depression and tried my best to drown myself in my work. Keyword: tried. For some reason, Alyx had felt it her mission to become my personal human flouter. She made sure I ate all my meals, slept at a reasonable hour, bathed, and got out for at least 2 hours, whether she escorted me around or dragged me, kicking and screaming away from my work table. The later was more frequent then I would ever admit.

"I had someone there for me and I think that you should have someone for you too," was her explanation.

I scoffed. "Why don't you bother your boyfriend?"

She sighed. "Being a bitch toward me isn't going to make me go away you know."

I chose to shoot another head crab in the far distance with my shotgun. "I'm just annoyed because you're practically letting them win." I shot the crab but it wasn't dead center. The poor thing limped away with a useless leg. "I only have a week to perfect that suit and it could still use some work. I don't see Magnuson taking a break."

Alyx scowled in my direction, probably because she hated whiners and that was exactly what I was doing. "Would you stop that and I'm not letting them win."

"You're actions say different." I aimed again and put the thing out of it's misery.

"I was actually doing this for your benefit." She aimed and shot a head crab dead center. "You told me you never handled these kinds of guns before but you seem to be pretty good for someone who's only had a month of practice."

"Yeah, well, you're full of it." I raised my shot gun to my waist and used my index finger to guide the barrel of the gun to its target. I shot and it landed its mark killing it instantly. Finally.

Alyx watched me and tried to imitate it. I'm not sure where that shot went. Her brows furrowed. "How are you doing that?" She asked.

I shrugged. "It's how I learned to shoot a gun. When I first picked one up, it was pretty heavy so I couldn't lift it up. I got use to aiming with my finger." I tried to imitate how everyone else shot their guns. I lifted my arms to eye level, lined up barrel with the head crab and pulled the trigger.

The butt of the gun slammed onto my shoulder. "Oh, God!" I yelled.

Alyx busted out laughing. "That was such an amateur move."

"Oh, shut up." I rubbed my shoulder to help ease the pain. "That's going to bruise later. How do _you _guys shoot like that?"

Alyx smiled. "You have to plant the butt firmly on your shoulder or the recoil will do that." She demonstrated with her own shotgun. I gingerly imitated. "Line the sights at the top of the barrel with each other and the target, not the barrel." So that's what those things were for. "Now, for a shotgun, make sure that you aim lower because its recoil tends to go upward. Now shoot."

I pulled the trigger and the shotgun recoiled painfully on my already bruised shoulder. This time it wasn't as bad but it still made me wince. I looked up and saw my target dead. "I got it." I grinned over at Alyx who smiled back.

"Great! I'm not sure how you aim with the way that you shoot but was it easier that time around?"

"Yeah, it actually was. Teach me how to do that with a magnum."

"Don't you have a suit to perfect?" She asked with a smirk.

I scratched the back of my head with a sheepish smile. "I guess the best targeting system is going to help me if I don't know how to aim right?"

We spent the rest of the day shooting at head crabs. By the end of the day, I was so tired I didn't have the energy to be depressed and I think that was exactly what Alyx had intended.

**You guys are going to need to tell me how I did on this one. I'm not too happy with it. Constructive criticism is appreciated. Thanks**


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